There are now more than 15 million video display terminals (VDTs) in the United States with an estimated three million new units produced per year. By the end of the century, 75% of all U.S. jobs will involve some use of VDTs.
The VDT operator is involved in a man-machine based information processing system. The information output can refer to the tactile, the auditory and the visual capabilities of man. Awkward positions to compensate for the incompatibilities of man-machine fit result in reduced comfort, strain and excessive fatigue. Every inadequacy of design or dimension will, in the long run, generate static efforts associated with muscle fatigue, stiffness and pains in the neck, shoulder, arm, and hand area. The cumulative effect over time is a reduction in operator performance, accuracy and speed. This reduction in operator performance may have major economical consequences as it posses a direct threat to an office facilities' operating efficiency.
Recent European research studies on the long-term physical and psychological effects of VDTs on operators have concluded that, to a significant degree, the problems were not caused by the VDTs but rather by the vehicle which brought the terminal and operator together: the furniture. An extensive study on posture and preferred settings of adjustable VDT workstations during subjects' actual working activities was carried out by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland. The study revealed the need for relatively wide ranges of adjustable dimensions. The study conclusively found that "a VDT workstation without adjustable keyboard height and without adjustable height and distance of the screen is not suitable for continuous work with a VDT".
To solve this problem a fully integrated computer workstation was created. It fully integrates worksurface adjustability and state of the art ergonomics with task and ambient lighting in a stand alone workstation.
This invention has been installed and tested by professional operators in a multi-user data control facility for several months. It has been found to successfully reduce operator fatigue and significantly increase operator comfort, productivity, and performance.
Although there are numerous examples of prior art, all known workstations have significant disadvantages when compared to this invention. A number of computer workstations are known in the prior art that are designed for multiple VDT usage and that enabled operators to have some adjustability of the workstation. Some of these workstations may be found to be manually adjustable in height, but their controls, usually a hand operated lift mechanism, are too awkward and slow to meet the needs of a multi-user facility with several operators using many different workstations. A multiple VDT workstation necessarily requires that multiple keyboards be located within reach of the operator. The location and adjustability of the keyboards in the prior art will be found to be sorely lacking. One example has a set of keyboards located on a shelf above the operator forcing him to stand up to use the keyboards. Another example has the keyboards located in a deep recess under the worksurface so that the operator must change position, lean down and pull out a tray to access the keyboards. The location an angle of the display is critical. In one prior art design, the VDT units are mounted vertically three units high and are an obvious violation of ergonomic standards; causing the operator unnecessary strain of his eyes and neck to read the uppermost display. Lighting of these prior art workstations is inadequate at best and no provision has been made to address a balance of illumination that incorporates both task and ambient lighting.
The general problem that this invention solves is to provide an multiple VDT display workstation that is easily and quickly adjustable, is ergonomically correct in its design, and successfully incorporates both task and ambient lighting.